Candlelight Memories
by Heartless Kittypet
Summary: A series of oneshots, based off The Spirited Reverie. Currently on HIATUS, might or might not be taken down later on.
1. Sometimes

**Authoress's Note:** To begin, I will say that this is a series of oneshots, based off my first completed story "The Spirited Reverie". For those of you that haven't read it, I highly suggest you do, otherwise these oneshots might be a little confusing. But if you still read this and decide to try out the longer story, then I'm all for it. :) In a proverbially nutshell (pistachio, preferably; those are good!) the story was based around a fourteenth Organization membered called Rianxan, how she fell in love with Zexion, and how she came to be forgotten. No, it's not as cheesy as it sounds or anything like that. Anyway, for those of you who have been waiting for this, here it is! I said I would have it uploaded by Saturday (tomorrow, which is actually my birthday!), so...yeah.

**Summary: **Zexion and Ria take an impromptu trip to Twilight Town. Set halfway through "The Spirited Reverie", Zexion x OC, romance & cuteness.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but Rianxan, sadly...but if I ever see a KH/KHII character walking down the street, I will pounce on them. ;)

* * *

**Sometimes**

**By**

**LadyDarkDreamer**

* * *

They had found the puzzle on a walk through Twilight Town. 

_"I'm not quiet sure about this, Ria," he says, hesitantly. "I mean, we shouldn't—"_

_"Shouldn't what, Zex?" she asks, pushing her hair back from her face. She plays with her dragon necklace, running the charm along the silver chain. She tends to do that when she's feeling strongly about something. When he hesitates, she drops the necklace and laces her fingers through his. She squeezes his hand in reassurance, and starts walking backwards, leading him out of the woods and towards the sunlit—or rather, brightly twilit—town. _

They had both been lacking their Organization uniforms, and Ria had convinced him to wear something other than black that day. So, he'd chosen blue jeans and sneakers, but had opted to wear a black shirt anyways. Ria hadn't seemed to mind. Zexion, though he wouldn't admit it, had felt nervous about walking through the town and interacting with the people there.

Having Ria with him had made it easier, though.

_"We're Nobodies, Ria," he protests, "We're not supposed to exist, and we shouldn't be intermingling with—"_

_She stops, and stares hard at him. It's one of those faraway looks she gets sometimes. "Zexion, we may not have hearts, but we still have needs. And we need to be part of the world every once in a while, or we'll lose ourselves," she says. She then looks him up and down, and smiles playfully. "Besides, a little sunlight isn't going to kill you."_

_He smiles a bit, and slowly follows her._

So they had gone walking, holding hands as though they were an ordinary couple. They had wandered around, eventually finding a way to climb on top of one of the buildings so they could watch the people below. A few of those people had actually smiled and waved at them. Ria had waved back without hesitation.

_"You miss having a heart, don't you?" he asks tentatively, a few hours later. The light is beginning to fade, and everyone is heading home for the evening._

_Ria has been watching the sunset, a small smile on her face. She sits with her legs over the edge of the roof, her hands holding the building as she leans forward. But at hearing his question, her smile disappears, and she pushes away from the edge. She lays back on the roof, her knees up, and her eyes studying the sky._

_"Sometimes," she answers quietly, "It wasn't that long ago that I was…human, so…sometimes. I remember living in the city, and going to school and talking with my friends. I remember my heart beating, and I forget sometimes. But then I remember what it was like, and I can put my hand over my heart and _know_ it should be there. It should be beating, but it isn't."_

_Zexion regrets asking the question, and opens his mouth to apologize—something he never does._

_But Ria speaks again before he can, "When I was bored, I used to press my fingertips together and just let them rest there. After a little while, I could feel my pulse, and I would just watch my hands, or look at the designs on the rings I was wearing. It was such a meaningless habit, but…I miss it. I can do it now, and I swear to myself that I can_ feel_ my heart beating, but it's never true."_

_He looks over at her, wanting to offer her comfort. He finds her with her eyes closed, and he suddenly knows he shouldn't do anything. She is speaking what has surely been on her mind since becoming a Nobody, and the best thing he can do now was let her speak, and to listen._

_"I was walking home when I was attacked by Heartless," she continued. "To us, they were just myths, just part of dark stories we heard when we were little. The parents in my world would say 'Be good, sweetie, be good unless you want the Heartless to come. They'll steal your heart, and make you one of them.' I never liked those stories, Zexion, I never did at all."_

_She sits up suddenly, and scoots as close to him as she can get. As she rests her head on his shoulder, he slides an arm around her waist in comfort._

_"It was raining that day, just a little bit. But it was daytime, and the Heartless attacked, right there. I turned a corner and found the street empty, except for the dark shadows. They watched me with yellow eyes, and didn't hesitate before they attacked me. I fought back, of course," she says, laughing a little. "But it didn't help, and I blacked out halfway through the attack. I lost my heart while I was out, I guess, but it still hurt. I woke up in an alleyway, here in Twilight Town, and Xemnas found me a few hours afterward."_

Zexion had been unsure of what to say, then. So, he had pulled her close and placed a kiss on her forehead.

_"I'm…sorry," he whispers, "My…I lost my heart some time ago, but not to the Heartless. Remember how I described working with Xemnas, Vexen, and the others? After Ansem forbid Xemnas to continue the experiments, he did so anyway. We did the experiments in secret, using ourselves as test subjects when we couldn't…use people from outside the castle. Eventually, everyone had gone through a change but me, had lost their hearts to our desire for knowledge. I, naturally, was the next and last on the list, so my turn came. The others put me under, but misjudged the amount of anesthesia, and gave me too little in their excitement to continue._

_"I woke up during the last part of the experiment, right when they prodded into the darkness of my heart. I woke up screaming, and Lexaeus and Xigbar had to hold me down."_

_He feels Ria let out a breath in surprise, and tense as she pulls away slightly to look at him fully. "Oh my…that's…" she breaks off, unsure of what to say, "I…"_

_"It's okay," he reassures, pulling her close. "It's been so long since then. Yet…" He looks away, towards the sunset._

_"You still remember?" Ria offers._

_He nods._

There was more to the story, but…Zexion hadn't wanted to tell her the rest then.

So, they had sat comfortably with each other until it was nearly dark. On the way back to the woods, though, Ria had stopped at a small corner shop that was still open. She had seen him looking over the more complicated puzzles, ones that were kept in white boxes. The words 'Puzzle, 2000 Pieces' were stamped on the side of the boxes. There was no picture of what the puzzle would be on the top, since it was supposed to be part of the surprise, a challenge of sorts.

Unexpectedly, Ria had bought one of the puzzles for him; where she had gotten the munny, he didn't know. Now, they sat on the floor of his living room, the puzzle three-fourths of the way complete.

It was getting near midnight, and Ria stood up, stretched, and went searching through the small kitchenette across the room. She liked, he noticed, to snack during the day. Her appetite, however much she was a Nobody, was healthy. He enjoyed using his cooking skills to make her food she hadn't tried before. It was one of the little things he loved about her.

Love? There was that word again, one he never would have seen himself using. He was a man of science, not of fate or feelings. Still, Ria seemed to have changed at least a small part of him, and he was grateful for the change.

Glancing down at the puzzle, he placed two more pieces with ease. Zexion then looked up to watch Ria again.

She smiled as she caught his gaze, and came to sit next to him. She brought with her a toasted bagel covered in cream cheese, and Zexion slid his arm around her waist.

Ria was a strange young woman, or rather, Nobody. Mostly, everyone—except Vexen, Lexaeus, and Xemnas—found his experiments dull and boring. They also found his enjoyment of completing puzzles strange.

But not Rianxan; these past few weeks, he had learned a lot about her. She watched him quietly when he worked in his lab, but she would often ask questions about what he was doing, or how something worked. She was intelligent, and he found some of her theories intriguing. At least once daily, she would say something that would make him stop and think. Ria was the first new member of the Organization to ever be interested in his work.

She had even joined him in completing this puzzle. Though she would get frustrated after a long time of not placing any pieces, she pressed on. He had put together most of the thing, but it didn't bother him. Ria helped when she could, was making an effort to try, and he enjoyed having her nearby.

Thirty minutes passed and he got most of the puzzle together. Just a few more pieces and they would be able to see the entire picture. For him, the puzzle wasn't so much challenging as time-consuming, but it was something he liked doing.

He was distracted then, as Ria stood up and walked across the room again. She returned with two water bottles, and offered him one as she sat back down.

_She can be so innocent, sometimes_, he thought suddenly, catching her green-gold gaze.

But Zexion knew she wasn't innocent, no more that he was. Ria had seen the darkness, and had fought against it and lost her heart in the process. She knew, like very few others, how cruel the universe could be.

Now, abruptly, of all times, Zexion felt compelled to finish the story he had begun to tell in Twilight Town all those hours ago.

"Ria?"

"Yeah?" she replied, looking at him. She wasn't so much sitting nearby as leaning against him. It was getting a little cold, and Zexion thought briefly that maybe one of them should get a blanket.

"After…" he began, "Once I woke up, Xaldin couldn't find the rest of the anesthetic; he said something about misplacing it later on. Beyond the pain, I vaguely remember Vexen shouting that they needed to hurry, or I would die. They had all been through the change and survived, but Vexen seemed convinced they would lose me if the situation wasn't taken under control soon. I wouldn't become a Nobody, he said, I would just…die."

Ria froze beside him, but listened.

"I remember Xemnas yelling something, and Lexaeus saying they couldn't lose me. I shuddered violently and screamed again, because the pain was becoming too much. Vexen couldn't stop the experiment or go back at that point. All I remember after that is hearing glass break, and someone holding a cloth over my mouth and nose. I drifted off, but I still remember the pain sometimes. I woke up hours later, and felt different."

He stopped, his story complete, and looked to see Ria's reaction. Her eyes were a mix of…emotions, it seemed. So many that Zexion could barely catch and identify then before they disappeared. But at last understanding filled her eyes, and she hugged him.

Zexion returned the embrace, and recalled that before meeting Rianxan, he had been one to avoid all physical contact with others.

As they pulled away, they settled into a more comfortable position and turned back to the puzzle. Ria placed a piece near the far corner, and Zexion smiled as he realized how the last half-dozen pieces fitted together. He quickly placed them exactly where they needed to go, and they leaned forward to study the picture.

It was beautiful. Half of the rectangular picture was bright blue sky, while the other half was dark and starry. The colors of the sky were expertly shaded together along the center line, with the sun and moon blended perfectly in a mix of pale yellow and silver-white.

When neither of them spoke for a little while, Zexion began to wonder what they would do now. Perhaps, in a week or two, he would let Ria take him to Twilight Town again.

_"I remember the pain," he tells her, "what it was like, how hopeless everything seemed then. And I wonder, at moments, if it was worth it sometimes. Giving up my heart."_

_"Was it?" Ria asks quietly, near his ear._

_Zexion looks at her for a moment. "Yes," he whispers, and kisses her._

* * *

**End Note: **Yes, I know it's a little short, but hopefully it was a good start. If you have any oneshot suggestions, let me know and I'd be happy to stick them in. Of course, I will definitely credit the ideas to the people who offered them at the beginning of the story. :) Right now, I've got about five more oneshots planned. Reviews? They would be greatly appreciated, but I won't be annoying or plead for them; it does only take like, 10 seconds to review, though. 

-LadyDarkDreamer (AKA Silver)-


	2. Remember Me

**Authoress's Note: **Thank you so much for the reviews and suggestions, everyone! And for all the random 'happy birthdays' I recieved as well! Saturday was great, and I actually recieved Final Fantasy XII as a gift. If you haven't played it yet, you should stick it on your list, because it's pretty cool! The battle system is different, and...I actually haven't gotten that far, but it's turning out to be a good game! By far, the strangest gift was a 'good luck' bamboo plant my sister got me. Somehow, the growers got it into the shape of a heart, and my sister insisted I name the thing. So, I'm called it 'Heartless'...or 'Shadow' for short. ;)

**Summary: **Only a short time after Rianxan's death, Demyx deals with losing his friend, and the others left behind.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but Rianxan, her somebody, and her weapons.

**

* * *

**

**Remember Me**

**By**

**LadyDarkDreamer**

* * *

Wandering becomes ritual, then. 

_"My name," she said, speaking for the very first time, "Is Rianxan."_

Often, Demyx will find himself walking through the whiteness of the Castle That Never Was. Occasionally he will sit with his back against the wall, his sitar in his lap. He will play anything that comes to mind.

Sometimes he crafts an intricate melody from a simple tune, but more often than not, only solitary notes leave his fingers.

_There is nothing to _do_ in the Castle anymore_, he thinks, _except trivial missions_. Half for Organization is getting ready to move to Castle Oblivion, to carry out a plot that Xemnas claims will "help them get their hearts back." It is an intriguing plan, but still…Demyx is tired of the quiet, and of the boredom.

Which is why he finds himself in Twilight Town, namely in the residential area of Sunset Terrace. He walks down a set of stairs, and sits on the cool grass with a heavy sigh.

Ria—his newest friend—is gone, and Roxas and Axel are spending all their time with each other. He suspects it is because they don't have much time before Axel leaves, and Roxas won't see him for at least a month. Still, he feels left out, with all his friends 'gone', in a way.

_"Ria? Ria! Will you please get up before Xemnas kills me?"_

_Still half-asleep, she called, "Who the hell's there?"_

_"Oh, that's a great way to greet someone," came the answer._

He is sitting beside the fountain, and watches the water cascade into the thin pool below. Demyx can see his reflection, and nearly make out the green of his eyes. The sound of the water is comforting, and Demyx rests his arm on the edge of the stone pool. Letting his hand dip into the water, he thinks.

Loneliness…that is the only way to describe what he is feeling. With his few friends gone or distant, he feels left out.

He has tried to speak to Zexion. He thought that maybe, since the man and Ria were lovers—and Ria was his friend—that Zexion would talk to him, keep him company. But Zexion only turned cold, brooding eyes on him before walking off.

Demyx hears footsteps, but ignores them. He continues gazing at the water, dressed in blue jeans, a band T-shirt and sneakers. He knows from experience that the citizens of the town will leave him alone.

When he sees another face reflected in the waterfall, he jumps.

His hand slips from the pool as he falls back, and light laughter fills his ears.

"I'm sorry," a familiar voice says, "I didn't mean to surprise you."

Demyx sits up, wiping his wet hand on his jeans. He then looks up, and sees the speaker.

It is Naminé, standing on the other end of the fountain. She watches him, her head tilted with a contemplative smile on her face. He is surprised to see her here, especially when Xemnas has ordered her never to leave her room.

"Um, hi," he finally manages, standing. "What are you doing here? Isn't someone supposed to be watching you?" He doesn't mean to treat her like a small child, but he is worried about what will happen if someone finds her missing. How had she gotten out, anyway? As far as he knows, she cannot open her own dark portal.

Naminé doesn't take any offense to his questions, only glances over her shoulder. Demyx frowns, and follows her gaze until he spots Larxene. The woman is standing with her arms crossed, looking quite out of place in jeans and a tank top. She notices Demyx watching, and gives him a sarcasm smile and a little wave.

"I told her I wanted some fresh air, and she brought us here," Naminé says, turning back to him.

"That's...great," he replies, a little awkwardly, "It's, um…a pretty nice day, isn't it?"

She smiles again as he runs a hand through his hair. "Yes, it is a good day," she says, gazing up at the twilit sky.

Demyx isn't sure what to say after that, but he tries, "So…how are things going?"

The teenager shrugs. "I'm tired of being stuck in my room all the time, but Xemnas says we're leaving for Castle Oblivion soon," she muses, "Hopefully things will be more interesting there. What about you? What are you doing here this time of day?"

"I'm not really sure," he admits, "This place helps me think, especially with the sound of the fountain nearby.

"It's nice," she replies, glancing over at the waterfall.

"I like the water," Demyx says, knowing full well this small talk is going nowhere.

"So I've noticed," she continues. "Doesn't this place have a beach, somewhere? I heard Axel and Roxas talking about it, once."

Demyx nods, but doesn't answer as Larxene walks over, saying something about them having to go. She asks whether or not he is staying, and Demyx shakes his head. There is nothing else to do, and he has to return to the Castle eventually. Rolling her eyes, Larxene opens a dark portal, herding Naminé through it before stepping in herself.

_**xxx-/-/-XIV-/-/-xxx**_

Demyx returns to Twilight Town the next day, once again settling by the fountain. He sits by it, his fingertips caressing the water, thinking.

When he hears the approach of footsteps, he looks up. There is the Naminé again, with Larxene in the distance as her escort.

"You look sad," she says unexpectedly, "Is something wrong?"

Demyx has been thinking of his friends again, and everything that has happened recently.

Meeting her eyes, he says, "I'm just...thinking about everyone; about how Ria is gone, how a lot of the other members are leaving for the Oblivion mission, and how Roxas is starting to pull away and spend more and more time to himself. And because of that, Axel is keeping to himself these days. And I just..."

He watches her eyes as she sits across from him, folding her legs to one side since she is still wearing her white dress. "You miss them?" she asks, her voice understanding.

"Yeah."

She watches him for a few moments, and says, "I'm sorry, Demyx. Axel watches me occasionally, as does Roxas, and I've noticed a change in them. I miss the Roxas that used to talk to me about anything, and the redhead that always used to make jokes and call everyone nicknames. Even Zexion has changed, in his own way...but, I think I may have something that might help you."

"What's that?" Demyx asked, curious.

She shakes her head. "It's just a thought," she replies. "A memory of sorts, maybe one that came from my life before I became a Nobody. Would you like to hear it?"

Demyx waits a moment, and nods.

"This thought came to me once, while I was drawing," Naminé continues, holding his gaze with her own, "It was that, no matter where we are or how far away, we can look up at the sky and know that, somewhere, the people we care about are looking at it, too."

Demyx listens, and nods in reply. "It's a good thought," he says, "I'll remember that."

Naminé smiles, and looks over her shoulder when Larxene calls her name. Sighing, she stands, saying goodbye to him before walking in the blonde's direction. When she reaches the stairs, though, she stops and turns.

"Don't forget, okay??" she calls, putting her hands on her hips.

_She turned to him, and smiled. "Have you ever been horseback riding, Demyx?"_

Demyx nods, and watches her go.

_**xxx-/-/-XIV-/-/-xxx**_

Once he is back at the Castle, Demyx still feels a little down.

When his stomach growls, he heads to the kitchen in search of food. Strangely, he finds Zexion sitting at the table, staring at a plate full of spaghetti in front of him. After a moment, he pushes the plate away, and slams his fork into the table. The wood shakes from the impact, and the fork stands straight up as Zexion removes his hand.

Warily, Demyx walks around the table and studies the schemer.

Zexion notices. "What do you want, Demyx?" he demands, his voice tight.

Demyx wants to ask if he is okay, but knows Zexion will not answer. He knows that Zexion misses Ria, that he is probably furious with what Xemnas told other members about her. But at least half of Organization XIII knows that Ria is not a traitor.

_Larxene paused, then added, "Think of it this way: I hate you a lot less then I do the others."_

Demyx is upset about losing his friend, but he knows that Zexion must feel worse. They were in love, as much in love as two beings without hearts could be. They never seemed to care about that fact, though.

Demyx had once asked her about her relationship with Zexion, and how they could love without hearts.

_"Maybe," he mused, before she could answer, "The soul is enough for you guys." _

_"Just like, I think, the soul is enough for you to write such awesome songs," Ria replied._

_He laughed._ _"You think my songs are good?" he asked._

_She pushed his shoulder, smiling as she rolled her eyes. "I do know good music when I hear it, Dem. Don't let it go to your head."_

Instead, Demyx asks, "Are you going to eat that?"

Zexion gives him a look, and pushes the plate toward the sitar player. He then gets up and leaves the kitchen.

_**xxx-/-/-XIV-/-/-xxx**_

Demyx tries once again to get Axel to lighten up. Roxas is off wandering the streets of the city alone, because he says it helps him to think. The Key of Destiny wouldn't let Axel come this time, so the redhead is somber.

_"I hope you're not staring at me, because that would just be weird."_

_"I'm looking at the ice cream, genius," she replied, "It's blue."_

_"Yeah, so?"_

_"Well, why is it blue?"_

_"It's sea salt ice cream, Catty," he answered, "It's supposed to be blue."_

Demyx is sitting on Axel's bed, while the redhead walks around the room, looking at things and tossing random objects over his shoulder. Any empty bottle of alcohol nearly hits the musician in the head, and Demyx glares up at his friend.

"Will you stop that?" he asks, suppressing the urge to move away as Axel turns and glares at him.

A second later, Axel is preoccupied again, purposely picking up a picture frame and throwing it. Demyx knocks it down with his arm, and sighs.

"Axel, I asked if you—"

The pyro spins on his heel to face him. "What do you care what I do? You don't need to be here Demyx, constantly getting on my damn nerves! Go flood the Castle, or play your stupid guitar or something! I don't want you here!" Axel shouts, punctuating his words with waves of his arms. Demyx, taken aback, stands up and walks to the hallway.

Slamming the door behind him, he turns and yells, "It's a _sitar_, you idiot! Quit acting so depressed…"

He breaks off, and stalks down the hallway, eventually coming to the library. Everyone who usually uses the place is getting ready for Castle Oblivion, so it should be empty. The thought of the mission, though, is a hard reminder: despite the fact one of their number is missing, their existence as the Organization is continuing.

"Why do you always seem to be where I am, Number Nine?" a harsh voice asks. Demyx looks up, and realizes that against all odds, Zexion is sitting on one of the many couches. Demyx freezes, and his fists close at his sides as the tone of Zexion's question sinks into his mind. Raising his eyes from the floor, he fixes Zexion with a hard stare.

He rarely ever gets mad, or actually shouts, but…he is tired of all of this. He is tired of Axel being unsocial one moment, then getting angry and yelling at him the next. He is sick of Zexion's constant attitude towards anyone that comes near him, no matter who it happens to be.

"I don't know, _Number Six_," Demyx counters, gritting his teeth. "I'll tell you this, though: I'm so sick of it. This attitude you and Axel constantly seem to have is getting so annoying and pointless. You avoid everyone, and then when you bother to speak, it's in insults. I am so tired of it. Axel is on edge with Roxas, and you're missing Ria; at least I still get to hang out with Roxas, but Ria is gone for good. I know you were close to her, Zexion—hell, everyone knows it! At least Axel's attitude is bearable, but you are like this all the damn time! No one is excluded from it, not even the higher members! You tolerate them, but everyone can see the coldness and boredom in your eyes! Ria was my friend, and I know I wasn't as close and you were, but I still miss having her around. At least I'm dealing with her death better that you are."

Zexion seems taken aback by this outburst, but his features quickly harden.

"You have no right, Demyx," he says, his voice low.

"I have ever right," the musician replies, "I know that Ria considered me one of her best friends, aside from you. And I know that she wouldn't want you to block out nearly all of the universe around you, just because she's gone. Ria loved you, Zexion, and you should be remembering her for that, not lashing out at everyone else. She was strong, and made her decision. She may be gone, but at least she fought till the end and didn't spend her days moping and barking at the rest of the Organization just because she was upset."

For the first time since Demyx has met Zexion, the schemer is at a loss for words. Demyx notices the man's hands gripping the book he holds very tightly, so much that it slips from his fingers as he stands. Before he can move, Zexion advances on him, shoving him backward into the wall beside the library doors. Hands find their way to either side of his head, cutting off any escape. Zexion looks livid.

"I loved her, Demyx. I have the right to act however the hell I feel I should. I was there on the rooftop, with her before she left to see what Xemnas wanted. I don't know exactly what happened when she left, but I do know that I felt her scent die, her power fade. I heard the very last thought she projected into the air, before she faded. It nearly killed me to know I couldn't get to her, to be there with her as she died," Zexion's rage seems to slowly leave him as he spoke each word, and his eyes drop to the ground now. "She made the choice to go to Xemnas, and I can only guess that she made the choice to say whatever she had her mind set to. She was crying, before she left; she tried to hide it, to make sure I didn't notice, but I did, and…"

"You just wanted her to stay," Demyx says quietly.

Zexion looks up, his gaze softened considerably. He nods.

"I feel as though I want to hate her for the decisions she made, for leaving me…but I can't. I know she did the best she could in her mind."

He suddenly growls in frustration, pacing a bit before slamming one hand against the wall. Demyx can only watch; he has never seen Zexion so…emotional, so open before.

"I think, Zexion, that she still wouldn't want you to be like this."

The man looks up at him, his hand still against the wall. Demyx can tell that Zexion's patience is thinning, and that his brief moment of opening up is now gone.

"I am only human, Demyx, even without my heart," the schemer says, "I had a dream, before you came with Naminé to tell me about the candlelight memorial. She was there, Demyx, standing in a dark place with a floor of stained glass. I talked with her, told her I understood and that I missed her. She talked about something Axel said, about Nobodies having a next life." Zexion pauses, closing his eyes and walking to the doorway, only to stop. "It was so hard to say goodbye, even if I didn't speak the words. She was there, and I understand everything, but it's still so hard to let her go." A second passes, and he disappears through the doors and into the hallway.

The musician is quiet for a minute, and finally lets out a breath and decides to head back to his room. He halts in surprise, though, when he finds Zexion standing in the hallway.

"I went to Proof of Existence, two days ago," he whispers, and Demyx can barely hear him, "Her pedestal is gone."

Demyx halts, and Zexion is already halfway through a dark portal before he can answer.

_**xxx-/-/-XIV-/-/-xxx**_

Immediately, Demyx heads to Naminé's room, only to remember that each member is required to take a turn watching her. The shifts are six hours each, and he has no idea who is watching her at the moment. Still, his mind is set, and he opens the door; stepping halfway in, he visibly relaxes in relief when he finds Xigbar there, walking on the ceiling with his cloak trying to abide to the mistress that is gravity.

_"By the way," Xigbar said, "You two are so cute. Keep up the good work, Ria. If dear Zexy had a heart, you'd be melting it."_

The shooter glances his way, nodding being turning his attention to the spot on the wall he is firing at with his weapons.

Demyx rolls his eyes, and looks around to find Naminé drawing, as she usually is.

"I need your help," he says, pulling up another white chair. Naminé gives him a curious look, but nods.

Demyx explains in great detail what he needs. The young girl listens carefully, reaching for a different pencil as he speaks. She doesn't take her indigo gaze away from his green for nearly fifteen minutes, and finally begins to draw as he stops to breathe. Another ten minutes pass, and she tears one of the papers from her sketchbook and hands it to him. The drawing on the paper is rough, but detailed enough, and Demyx thanks her.

As he disappears through a portal, Namine flips to the most pristine page she can find, and begins to outline very, very carefully.

Meanwhile, in Twilight Town, Demyx goes to visit a popular metalworker and jeweler. The woman owes him a favor, and he has come to claim it. When he shows her the drawing, the woman tells him it is too intricate, and that something like that would take weeks to make. Demyx gives her a serious look, and holds up a large pouch full of munny. He says it is important, and that he needs it finished in a few days.

"Please."

The woman watches him for a moment, but shakes her head. He sighs and turns to leave, but she says something about a new shop that recently opened in town. It is run by Moogles, she says, ones that are famous for their item-making. Maybe he could find help there.

Demyx thanks her, and searches around for this new shop.

When he finally finds it, the Moogles working there are exciting about the challenge, and say they can have it done in three days.

_**xxx-/-/-XIV-/-/-xxx**_

Demyx keeps the things Namine has helped him with until the morning the others are supposed to leave for Castle Oblivion. He leaves one package outside of Zexion's door, and one outside of Axel's. Axel's contains a single picture of him and Roxas, sitting on the Sunset Station Clock Tower. They both look happy, and are eating seasalt ice cream.

He will let Axel draw his own conclusions. For now, he leans against the wall near Zexion's door, waiting. Eventually, the schemer comes out, giving Demyx a curious look as he spots the package on the floor. He picks it up and opens it carefully, his eyes widening.

One object falls into his hand, but he is focused on the drawing. It is beautifully done, and is one of him and Ria embracing tightly. Zexion's arms are at the small of her back, and hers around his neck. While Zexion is wearing his Organization cloak, Ria is dressed differently. She wears dark jeans, heeled boots, and a black shirt with bell sleeves. A quarter of the sleeves and the bottom half of the shirt are dyed silver. They are standing in the dark realm Zexion described, a colorful pattern of stained glass beneath their feet.

There are words scrolled carefully on the bottom: "Remember me."

Zexion runs a hand along the edge of the paper, looking lost for a moment.

Then, his hand tightens around the object that had slid down the paper only a minute ago. He looks at it, and finds that it is a small medallion. The finish is one of weathered or tarnished silver, and reminds him of the old Chinese coins that vendors could be found selling in Twilight Town. On the front is a raised, very detailed impression of Ria's dual fans, forming a heart. When he turns it over, Zexion finds the Roman numeral "XIV" carved into the metal, with the words "The Spirited Reverie" impressed beneath it.

_"Metaphorical? If you think of the synonyms the two words in my title have, I'm considered a strong-willed daydream. Who wants to be a dream? Having a more direct title would be better."_

_Sneaking a glance, she caught Zexion shrugging. "Yours is direct, in a way. Your element is spirit, correct?"_

Zexion looks up at Demyx, his eyes and expression soft.

"I know that we aren't friends," Demyx explains, "But I thought it would help."

Zexion watches him for a long moment.

"Thank you," he replies quietly, hiding the medallion as he closes his fingers around it. Holding the picture in that same hand, he starts to walk down the hall, stopping when he stands side-by-side with the musician. Glancing sideways at him, Zexion rests a hand briefly on the Demyx's shoulder before continuing down the hallway.

_"I buy you a gift, and I get tackled in return," he finally replied. "That's your idea of a 'thank you'?"_

_She laughed. "I did __not __tackle you, Zex, I pounced on you. There's a difference."_

Demyx half-smiles, silently hoping that one day, Nobodies won't be wanderers anymore.

And that, one day, maybe hope would be enough to regain a heart.

* * *

**End Note: **This story is a bit heavy, like the last one, but definitely longer! It was about 10 pages, I think; hopefully the quotes from "The Spirited Reverie" didn't seem out of place, and that the entire oneshot didn't seem too random. I wanted to do something from Demyx's POV, for a bit of a change. The next few oneshots will be more on the light and comical side, and the next update should be at the end of the week, I think. :) Reviews? 

-LadyDarkDreamer (AKA Silver)-


	3. You Know, You Are Staring

**Authoress's Note: **I am SO sorry for taking so long, everyone! I never expected to take this long to get the next oneshot up. Things just got really busy here, and I finally got a chance to sit down and write this. Enjoy!

**Summary:** Ria loses a bet with Demyx and Roxas. Some Zexion x Ria, pure humor and randomness; takes place shortly after Chapter 32 of _The Spirited Reverie._

**Disclaimer: **If my closet was really a doorway to Kingdom Hearts, that would be interesting. But it's not, and I have to keep at least some semblance of sanity. I don't own anything KH related, just Ria.

**Dedication: **Yes, this is the first dedicated chapter. First, to Chaxra-san, for wondering if Ria ever DID go through Zexion's clothing (see the last note at the end of _The Spirited Reverie_, if you're curious). Secondly to Aerith08, because she rocks with the writing, and suggested something a little more comical. And lastly to my younger sister, for being the source of all the moogle ideas. Hopefully this story, and the following ones, will be funny!

* * *

**You Know, You Are Staring**

**By**

**LadyDarkDreamer**

* * *

Letting out another hard breath, Rianxan looked up at the blond boy standing over her, pressing the tip of a black keyblade very close to her throat. She caught his azure gaze with her own one of green-gold, and nodded slightly. As she let her fans disappear, Roxas lowered his own weapon and let it vanish in a flurry of light. His serious expression broke into a triumphant smile, and he offered her a hand. 

A moment passed, and Ria finally took the hand. With a quick step back, Roxas helped her to her feet, and the brunette noticed absently that they were roughly the same height.

"Nice fight, guys!" someone called nearby, "I knew you could beat her, Roxas."

Turning her attention to the tall musician on the other side of the training room, Ria put her hands on her hips and gave him a look.

"This coming from the person who trained me?" she demanded playfully. "I would have thought you'd be on my side."

Demyx scratched his head, and grinned. "Sorry, Ria, but I've known Roxas longer," he said, "I couldn't just abandon my eldest friend! Can you imagine what the consequences of such an action would be?"

She didn't bother to answer; instead, she glared at him as he began to walk towards them.

When he finally made it halfway across the room, Ria shook her head and pushed her hair out of her face. She stretched briefly, and sighed as her muscles protested. When she had agreed to a practice fight against Roxas, she really hadn't expected the kid to be as fast as he had been. Or, for that matter, as determined to win. Roxas was a good friend and fun person to hang out with, but when it came to battles, he left all lightheartedness behind.

Truthfully, the fight had been part of a playful bet between the three. Whoever won got to put the losing person up to anything they could think of. Ria had agreed to it simply because she was bored…and, well, because who would pass up the chance like that?

Well, she hadn't expected Roxas to be such a fierce fighter. And here she was, twenty minutes later, waiting for her friends to decide on her…punishment?

That didn't really seemed like the right word, but it worked.

And so, as a silent not-so-well-thought-out act of revenge, Ria walked over and stood in front of Demyx, halting his progress. Before he could react, she snatched the bottle of water he was holding, and stalked off in a dramatic fashion.

"Hey, that's mine! What are you doing?" Demyx protested, reaching to take it back.

Ria sidestepped away, shaking her head.

"I'm the most exhausted person in the room," Ria countered, keeping just far enough away that he couldn't catch her, "I get the water."

Demyx protested again, and Ria caught Roxas rolling his eyes.

"Whenever you children happen to be finished," the blond said, crossing his arms, "There is brainstorming to be done. Demyx, she lost the bet, so we have to come up with something, quickly."

Ria waved a little as Demyx glared at her. He sighed a second later, and went to stand by Roxas. Smiling, Ria set the bottle on the floor and took off her cloak, tired of having the thing on. Unless she absolutely had to wear one, she tended to leave the cloaks in Zexion's closet. At this thought, she inspected the cloak, and was pleased to discover it was her own. She tended to rush when it came to getting ready for missions, or anything that required the Organization uniform. Sometimes, she ended up grabbing one of Zexion's cloaks instead of hers.

Folding the coat and setting it on the floor, Ria looked over at Roxas and Demyx. She could hear their hushed discussion, and wondered what type of ideas they could possibly be coming up with.

"How are the ideas coming?" she asked, giving them a questioning look. Roxas only glanced over at her, and suddenly smiled.

It wasn't a friendly smile; rather, it was a smile of sudden inspiration.

At least, that was the feeling she was getting.

Suddenly thinking that maybe she should quietly disappear, Ria grabbed her cloak and turned, walking towards the doors leading out of the training room. She tried to keep her steps light, but it was almost impossible in the large room. A quarter of the way to the exit, and one of the boys called her name. Sighing, she halted, and turned to face them. Both were grinning now as they approached, and came to stand next to her.

She considered running right that moment, but decided against it. She could only avoid them for so long until she was found.

Demyx rested one arm over her shoulder, still smiling, and said, "We've come up with a brilliant plan."

Ria inched away a bit, wondering what the heck the two of them had come up with. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

When Roxas cleared his throat, she turned her attention to him, and waited.

"You, Rianxan, Number Fourteen of the Organization," Roxas began, somehow managing to smile as he spoke, "Must return to the room you share with Zexion, while avoiding the actual Cloaked Schemer, and raid his closet."

Ria started to nod, then stopped when Roxas's words finally registered. She frowned in confusion, and gave him a questioning look. He just smiled, amusement in his eyes. She looked to Demyx, but still didn't get a further explanation.

Finally, she asked, "You want me to _what_?!"

"It's simple really; you have to—"

"What Roxas is trying to say," Demyx interrupted, leading her towards the door, "Is that you have to go through Zexion's clothing, pick out something, and wear it the rest of the day."

Ria's frown deepened. "Wait, why? How is that in any way a brilliant idea?" she questioned in protest. "You want me to wander around the Castle in someone else's clothes. Dem, that's not even embarrassing! What do you expect to possibly happen?"

"Nope, no more questions," Demyx said, stopping as they entered the hallway. "Once you do that, find Roxas and I and we'll continue from there."

Ria rolled her eyes, and sighed. "Demyx, what the—"

Before she could speak further, Demyx had waved his hand and opened a portal, pushing her through it. She stumbled into one of the dark corridors, and turned as the portal closed, grumbling.

She spent the next few minutes standing there, wondering if everyone in the Castle had truly gone mad.

_**xxx-/-/-XIV-/-/-xxx**_

"Are you sure she'll do this, Demyx?" Roxas asked, adjusting his cloak. He summoned one keyblade, twirling it idly.

The sitarist nodded. "Trust me, she will, no matter how weird it is," Demyx replied, standing just far away enough to avoid the blade hitting his head. "Are you sure you'll be to do something about the lights?"

Roxas watched him for a moment, and then it was his turn to nod. "Don't worry about it, I can manage perfectly fine. Leave the lights and the paint to me, and the rest will come together. Shouldn't you be going to the Land of Dragons, and Twilight Town?"

"Hey, I'm leaving you to your part of the plan. Leave mine to me."

He glanced at Roxas, and the boy shrugged.

"Well, get going," the keyblader advised, "Everything needs to be ready by tonight."

Demyx just smiled, and shook his head.

"You worry too much, Rox."

_**xxx-/-/-XIV-/-/-xxx**_

Sighing, Ria kicked her own clothes into the closet, still curious as to why she had to…borrow…some of Zexion's clothing. Thankfully he hadn't been in the suite when she arrived, and he still hadn't returned.

Though it was interesting to search through his clothes, she really didn't want to be caught in the act. It would be embarrassing by itself, and even more so if she told him she had lost a bet to Demyx and Roxas. The schemer was on acquaintance terms with the two boys at best—and while Ria was also sort-of-friends with Axel, Zexion still disliked the redhead— and would probably find it ridiculous she had even agreed to a bet with them.

Grabbing her own cloak, she put it on as she walked through the bedroom. Entering the living room, she went to leave, but stopped with her hand on the doorknob.

Where exactly was she supposed to go now?

Demyx hadn't really specified what room they would be in. Though, chances were that if she wandered around long enough, she would find them.

So, leaving the suite, she set out searching for them. They weren't in the training room or the lounge, so Ria headed for the next logical place: the kitchen.

Too lazy to open a portal, she let her feet carry her along the familiar way to the kitchen while she focused on her own thoughts. Distracted, of course, she didn't realize there was anyone in front of her until she ran right into them.

Stumbling, Ria barely found her balance as she started to fall. Standing, she looked up to apologize to whoever she had hit, silently hoping it wasn't Saix or Xemnas. Relief passed over her when her eyes were met with fiery hair, and she smiled as Axel glared at her.

"You need to stop daydreaming all the time, Catty," the redhead advised, gazing down at her. Ria glared up at him in return, sidestepping around him to ruffle his already incredibly unruly hair.

"Sorry, comes with the job," she countered, putting her hands on her hips as she walked backwards, passing him. As clumsy as she could be sometimes, she somehow managed not to fall flat on her back. Axel turned around to keep her in view, now glaring at her.

Moving to follow her, he shook his head. "What job?" he asked.

Deciding it was better not to tempt fate, she halted until she could walk side-by-side with the pyro. After a moment, she said, "You know, the being a powerful Nobody in the amazing group called the Organization. I _am_ called the Spirited Reverie, Axel, so wouldn't it be weird if I didn't happen to daydream occasionally?"

When all he did was shrug, she smiled.

"The same goes for you, I think," she continued, smirking, "Your name is the 'Flurry of Dancing Flames', and it fits you perfectly. Your element is fire, and you fight like it's some sort of dance of life or death. "

When she glanced over at him, she found him giving her a surprised look. "I do not dance when I fight!" Axel declared, throwing up his hands. "What kind of comparison is that?"

He set a hand on her shoulder to stop her, but she only smiled and shrugged it off. "I would have thrown in a few adjectives, for your benefit," she added, amusement flashing in her eyes, "But I didn't think you needed any more compliments."

Axel sputtered indignantly, only to halt when her grin widened. She heard him sigh, and he was quiet for a few minutes after. Then, suddenly, he asked, "Did you steal one of Zexion's cloaks again?"

Ria, surprised, quickly looked at him. "No, not this time. Why?"

"Zexy complains about it often enough," Axel replied, as they came to stand outside the arched kitchen doorway. "Besides, Demyx and Roxas told me about their plan."

Frowning, Ria turned to question him, but immediately felt someone grab her from behind. Her mouth was covered by a hand, and some sort of blindfold was tied over her eyes before she could defend herself. Still, she squealed in protest and kicked backward with the two-inch heel of one boot. Her heel encountered someone's shin, and she smiled internally as she heard a curse behind her. The grip on her arms loosened, and she took the opportunity to bite the fingers covering her mouth. A second later she moved to take off the blindfold and run, but someone grabbed her again, keeping a firm hold on her even when she stomped her heel into their instep again.

"Ow! Ria, will you quit with that?" a familiar voice, belonging to a certain keyblade wielder, asked.

In response, she relaxed, a plan of escape already forming in her mind. She may have agreed to complete the bet, but she wasn't about to let them drag her somewhere without a fight! Someone would end up injured, if she got another chance. It didn't even bother her that these people were her friends, they would still get their male behinds kicked. She trusted them, but still…they had chosen to try and restrain her.

Yeah, they were definitely paying for this later.

Finally, Roxas loosened his hold on her arms a bit, and she quickly relaxed all her muscles. Since she stopped holding her own weight, Roxas was forced to keep her standing. Taking her chance, she threw herself forward, attempting to execute a blind roll. She was stopped however, as another person caught her halfway through and swept her off her feet.

Seething, she sighed heavily, her mouth once again covered by a gloved hand.

_I swear, _she thought angrily to them_, I'm going to kill you all._

"Of course you are," another voice, Axel's, replied.

As they started to move, she growled, even though it was muffled.

_Whoever is carrying me, put me down before you lose something important, _she threatened._ I am not some distressed princess from a backwater world who ended up conjuring a dragon when she messed around with too much magic. _She knew she was rambling now, as she usually did when she was upset, but it didn't matter. Hopefully the boys would get the point.

"Well, we _know_ that, Catty," Axel piped in again. "After all, you _are_ the dragon."

Her eyes narrowed under the blindfold, and she struggled against the person carrying her.

"Dem, if you're not going to keep her from escaping, give her to me," the redhead added.

_Well, at least now I know who to hunt down first,_ she noted in thought, hoping it would convince Demyx to let her go. It didn't, of course, so she was forced to endure being carried.

Today was turning into a nightmare.

_**xxx-/-/-XIV-/-/-xxx**_

A few hours later—well, she guessed it was about that much—Ria found herself standing in one of the few empty rooms the Castle possessed. The lighting was dull, seeing as half the actual bulbs were burnt out, and the cloak she had been wearing was gone. Roxas had asked to borrow it, not giving a reason, and she had parted with it after a few minutes of arguing. The boy had disappeared, as had Demyx, leaving Axel to watch her.

"What the hell is going on, Axel?" she asked pointedly, having nothing else to do.

The redhead only smiled, and shrugged.

"Well, did Roxas happen to tell you why exactly I had to steal Zexion's clothes? I would really like to know, just in case he asks in the future."

This time, Axel looked surprised. He pushed away from the wall he had been leaning against, and lowered his arms to his sides.

"Those two told you to steal his clothes?" Axel asked, his voice filled with both curiosity and disbelief.

When she nodded, an amused smile spread across Axel's face, and Ria shook her head. Axel laughed.

"Well, I really have no idea," he eventually said. "I can only guess it was to keep you busy."

At hearing this, Ria gave him a look. "Why would they want to keep me busy?"

"Oh, that I'm not going to tell," Axel replied, spreading his hands in front of him and giving her an innocent smile.

She scowled, and decided to turn her attention to the floor. She was known to show that smile every once in a while, and she didn't like seeing it used against her.

"Never again," Ria muttered, "Will I make a bet with Demyx and Roxas."

"So, what articles of clothing did you steal from Zexy?"

Hearing this, Ria turned to give Axel a look.

"You can see perfectly well, Axel. Would you like me to stand up and model it for you as well?"

"Such harsh sarcasm, Catty; I was just asking. It's not everyday that someone goes through the schemer's wardrobe."

Ria caught his gaze after this, and the next several seconds that passed were quiet. Finally, she sighed, and decided there was no harm in the question. Truthfully, she hadn't really thought much about the clothing she had grabbed. She had just reached for anything she liked, tried it on, and kept was fit the best. She had actually been surprised to find anything that fit, since Zexion was about four inches taller than her and weighed more.

Standing, she glared once at Axel for good measure, and turned around in a circle. She had kept her own boots, and just stolen a pair of pants and a shirt. Zexion's wardrobe consisted of mostly dark colors, so she had chosen a pair of dark blue jeans that were a little long, but fit fairly well. Ria had been quite surprised to find an actual white, long-sleeved shirt buried in the back of one of the dresser drawers. Black stitching contrasted with the brightness, and she had taken a moment to seriously wonder whether not it was actually Zexion's. She still wasn't quite sure, but she had put it on anyway.

All in all, the clothes were quite comfortable…and they smelled like Zexion.

Ria smiled, despite herself; that fact made waiting easier. She was in some random room in the Castle, waiting for her friends to return and tell her to rest of the bet. It had been early evening when she had gone looking for Demyx and Roxas, so she could only guess that it was getting late. Zexion was probably looking for her, so the sooner the bet was over with, the better.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Ria rested her chin in her hands and waited.

"How long till they get back?" she eventually asked, turning her head to where Axel was sitting against the wall.

As if to answer her question, a fairly large portal opened in the middle of the room. A cloaked figure, namely Demyx, stepped through…

…leading a solid black, tall horse beside him.

Jumping up in surprise, Ria opened her mouth to demand why there was a horse in the room, but found she couldn't speak. When she looked to Demyx, she found him grinning wildly at her. So, she looked to Axel, and found him smirking just as much.

Finally, she found her voice, "Demyx, in the name of all the worlds, what the heck are you doing? Why did you bring a horse here? Where's Roxas? Why the hell are you grinning at me like that?"

The musician didn't seem phased by her questions, and reached for something draped across the saddle on the horse's back. He tossed it over the horse towards her, and she caught it by impulse, discovering it was a cloak. More specifically, her cloak.

As her grip tightened on it, she frowned as she discovered there was something oily on the leather. Running her hand across one portion, she turned her palm upward and looked down at it, wondering what the stuff was.

"What did you do to my cloak, Dem?" she demanded, holding it away from her.

Demyx only shook his head, and motioned for her to come closer. "Trust me, there's no time; Roxas is going to be finished anytime now."

Her frown only deepened at hearing this. "What have you two been doing, and what does it have to do with me?" she questioned warily.

"Will you put your cloak on, please? We don't have time," he said quickly, looking up at the ceiling briefly.

Still confused, Ria sighed heavily and unfolded her cloak, quickly putting it on as she walked over to where Demyx was standing. The horse watched her with dark, friendly chocolate eyes. Offering her hand for the magnificent creature to sniff, Ria suddenly recognized the steed as the mare she had ridden during her first mission. She and Demyx had gone to the Land of Dragons, and Ria had been struck by inspiration upon discovering the stables. An early-morning ride had resulted, and even in the cold snow of the mountain pass, it had been a lot of fun.

The mare eagerly nuzzled her hand, only to snort and shift her weight as she sniffed Ria's cloak.

Remember the oily residue, Ria turned her attention to Demyx.

"Seriously, Dem, what are you up too?" she asked calmly, not wanting to make the horse nervous.

Suddenly, the dim lights flickered, and Demyx nodded. Before Ria could move, Axel had come up behind and lifted her into the air so that she was half across the mare's back. The horse beneath her shifted at the unexpected weight, and Ria cursed as she grabbed the mare's mane. In danger of sliding off, she hoisted her leg over the mare and pulled her forward, settling into the saddle. When the lights flickered again, Demyx led the mare forward, and Ria quickly moved her feet into the stirrups and grabbed the reins. It took her a minute to remember how to hold them correctly, and by that time Demyx had led them through another portal.

When they emerged, Roxas was standing in the middle of a wide hallway, his keyblades out and spinning. The lights wavered again, and finally went out completly.

Belatedly remembering that Roxas's element was light, Ria frowned as she realized what he was doing: knocking out all the electricity in the Castle That Never Was.

And then, the identity of the oily stuff on her cloak swiftly became known.

It was glow-in-the-dark paint, and her entire cloak was covered in it…and so was the mare.

Turning to where she thought Demyx was, Ria frowned. "What is this, you guys? Are you crazy? We're going to get caught!"

"Not if you listen closely," came Roxas's voice, somewhere nearby. "Axel, Demyx, if you would?"

Wondering what exactly he meant, Ria felt the mare shaking her head, and discovered that Demyx had let go on the bridle. She adjusted her hold, settling the horse down as she had learned to do as a young teenager. The mare calmed, and Ria felt a hand reaching for the hood behind her head. She looked to the right, and found Axel standing there. He stood on his toes, bringing the hood over Ria's head. Before she could question this action, she spotted Demyx opening a portal.

"Okay, here's the deal, oh great Mistress of the Moogle Apocalypse," Roxas said, coming to stand beside Axel. "As you've already noticed, you and the horse are covered in glowing paint. Demyx, after the little moogle escapade courtesy of Xigbar and Luxord, wants revenge on them. We've decided to also include Xemnas in our little prank, since you've manage to convince us he might be afraid of the little creatures. Demyx has a few connections, and convinced some of the moogles from Twilight Town to visit the Castle. The cute little things will accompany you on your gallop through the dark hallways as you shout about the invasion. Once you run out of hallway, teleport to Xemnas's room and scare the heck out of him, and return here. We'll get rid of the evidence, and no one will be the wiser. By morning, everyone will hopefully think Superior is insane, and it will be a good day."

As all of this sank in, Ria really had no idea how to respond. Before she could fully organize her thoughts, Demyx arrived with several dozen moogles flying after him. Many were whispering quietly, and the word 'kupo' was repeated countless times.

At that moment, the mare began to prance sideways. As Roxas stepped back, Axel chose to smack the mare's rump. The horse jumped forward into a fast canter, and she heard Demyx shout good luck as she took off, the moogles quickly following after her.

Righting herself in the saddle, Ria controlled the mare the best she could, letting her decide where to go. The ride was dark and fast, and Ria mentally cursed her friends for making her go through with this. This feeling quickly faded, though, as she remembered how much she loved to go horseback riding. With the moogles following her, the hilarity of the prank began to set in, and she smiled to herself as she guided the mare around a corner.

Soon, she began shouting a loudly as she could. Anything about moogles that came to her mind, she called out, letting her voice carry as she passed. The moogles joined her with simultaneous chorus of their trademark phrase, and she laughed. The black mare seemed to sense Ria's amusement, and added her own excited neighs to the noise. All too soon, Ria found herself running out of corridors to run through.

Quickly, she opened a dark portal with a thought, and everyone plunged through. Hooves clattered on marble as they entered Xemnas's large room, and Ria guided the mare in a tight circle. Xemnas wasn't in the room, as far as she could see, so she opened another portal and cantered through the nearby hallways. Soon enough, she found him and Saix, along with Luxord and Marluxia gathered at one junction.

Screaming cute, bloody moogle revenge, Ria urged the mare into a gallop. The four members scattered in the wake of the mare's hooves and the assault of moogles. The little creatures paused for only a moment to surround the men, before hurrying after Ria and the portal she opened.

_**xxx-/-/-XIV-/-/-xxx**_

Nearly two, carefree days later, Ria found herself in the library playing cards with Roxas and Axel. Luxord had attempted to join the game, only to leave when all three teenagers had protested violently.

Of course, Axel had suggested they play poker. Despite the fact she had no idea how to play, Ria had agreed, as long as it wasn't strip poker.

Axel had argued with her, only stopping when Roxas said he wouldn't play that type under any circumstance. Axel had sighed dramatically at this, but nodded.

Both Nobodies turned out to be decent players, but terrible teachers. When they attempt to show Ria how the game worked, she just couldn't catch on.

And now, as the library door once again opened, Ria threw down her cards and gave up. She stretched, settling back into the soft cushions of the sofa and closing her eyes.

She stayed there for a long while, enjoying the relative quiet. Then she heard approaching footsteps, and a shadow passed over her face. Wondering who was standing over her, she opened her eyes and found herself gazing into familiar ones of dark ice.

"Zexion," she said, smiling. As she moved to sit up, she noticed his eyes drifting down to where she had her knees prompted against the back of the couch. Her smile changed to one of calm interest as he met her eyes again.

"Ria, may I ask exactly _why_ you are wearing my pants?" Zexion asked, his features calm.

Despite herself, Ria laughed softly. When she looked to Zexion again, though, she felt a mild blush forming across her nose and cheeks. She glanced at Roxas and found him fighting to suppress a grin. Meanwhile, Axel looked fairly surprised.

"Wait, wait, wait," the redhead said, setting down his cards and standing up. "Those are _Zexy's_ pants? Aren't they leather?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Ria looked down, and realized that they did, in fact, seem to be leather. It was strange, because she hadn't actually noticed that before. Zexion had been gone when she had woken up this morning, so she had followed a mischievous impulse and raided his dresser again. She had selected these pants simply because they were soft, comfortable, and fit. They were black, of course, so she had worn her boots and a rich green shirt with it.

"I guess so," she observed, sitting up slowly.

Zexion continued to watch her carefully, and Axel seemed to be enjoying the situation.

"And you took them from Zexion?" he asked.

Shrugging, Ria glanced up at the schemer, and nodded. Still, there was no reaction on his face.

"Oh, this is priceless," Axel declared happily, "Who knew that Zexion, Number Six and the most secretive of us all, actually owned a pair of leather pants. Why didn't you ever tell us?"

Ria noticed Zexion's eyes sharpening at Axel's questions, but the man barely glanced in the redhead's direction. Slowly, Ria being to stand up, feeling it would probably be better to leave soon. Walking around the sofa, she touched Zexion's arm gently. Her eyes purposely darted to Axel, because she knew Zexion would notice, and she then gestured minutely to the doorway. Zexion barely nodded, and she responded with a smile.

She started to walk towards the door, and ventured a peek at Axel and Roxas. Zexion moved to follow her, and Axel didn't seem bothered by the fact that he hadn't answered any of the questions.

"This is…I don't know, an amazing discovery," Axel continued. "Come on, Rox, let's go tell Xigbar."

Roxas rolled his eyes at this, but Axel didn't seem to notice that, either.

Ria sighed, and quickly grabbed Zexion's arm, dragging him out of the library as quickly as she could.

"I'm really sorry about that, Zex," she said, as soon as they were out of hearing range. "I never expected Axel to make a big deal out of it."

She looked over at him, and found Zexion half-smiling. He nodded, and took her hand after a second as they walked down the corridor.

"I still want to know why you decided to steal the pants," he mused, giving her a questioning look.

She laughed at this, the sound echoing like bright sunshine down the hallway. Slipping her hand out of his, she walked ahead of him and turned to pose, her hands on her hips. She smiled at him, and shook her head as she found him watching her. So, she proceeded to walk slowly down the hallway, finally looking over her shoulder. She laugh quietly, as she found him still watching her.

After a moment, she said, "You know, Zexion, you are staring."

* * *

**End Note:** Hopefully this was a good bit of humor, and wasn't too rushed or anything. xD Again, I'm sorry it took me so long to update! I'll start working on the next, and get it up as soon as I can! Sorry I don't have much to say, but it's REALLY late here, and I'm tired. If anyone has any suggestions for future stories, let me know! I've got a few already, and some of my own ideas to start working on, but more are always welcome. Reviews? 

-LadyDarkDreamer (AKA Silver)-


	4. The Art of Pouncing

**Authoress's Note: **I apologize for taking so long to update! Things got busy around here, but I finally was able to sit down and write. The last three days have been spent on this oneshot, and I have to say, I'm really proud of it. It's a little different from the others, so hopefully it turned out okay.

Oh, and for those of you who are wondering, I am still _LadyDarkDreamer_! I've been thinking about changing my penname for awhile, but I'm still the same person!

Enjoy.

**Summary: **Larxene considers a bet, Demyx borrows a camera, and Ria learns that her favorite pastime can, in fact, be dangerous. Larxene/Marluxia centered, and a bit of Ria/Zexion as well; pure humor, contemplation, and romance.

**Disclaimer: **The only thing I own is Ria; despite the fact KH2 characters continue to purchase real estate in my dreams—and give my Muses funny ideas for stories—I have no claim on them. I still think Zexion would look spiffy in a pair of leather pants, though.

**Dedication: **First to _Yami of the Hikari_ for wanting to see Larxene pounce on an unsuspecting Marluxia. Secondly, to _Twilight Angel1013_ for wanting Ria to spy on Axel and Roxas. I couldn't think of a complete oneshot around that idea, so I fit it in the best I could here. And to _GoGothGirl_, also for requesting something centered around Larx/Marly. You helped inspire this, so the kudos goes to you!

* * *

**The Art of Pouncing**

**By**

**Inspir Silvr**

* * *

The day started out fairly routine for the Savage Nymph. 

An uneventful six hours of sleep after a rather boring mission—those damn people in Hollow Bastion were getting annoying! She had just needed to retrieve a bit of information from the computer there, not spend two hours fighting some broody leather-clad brunet and a girl ninja whose vocabulary probably included the word 'spiffy' somewhere—was followed by a hot shower, and her usual garb of the Organization uniform. She had then stalked the halls in her heeled boots, threatened to take out Xigbar's other eye if he so much as came near her with that camera of his, and skipped breakfast in favor of not sharing kitchen with a stoic Saix.

Well, at least the man with the azure hair wasn't in an unstable condition today. You couldn't so much as breathe the wrong way when he was like that. In fact, hiding was probably your best option in the event of a disaster of the berserker kind.

And now…she was bored.

Incredibly bored.

This, of course, meant it was time to see how her knife-throwing skills were holding up. All she needed now was someone she could either scare or provoke into a fight.

Sadistic mischief—or, in this case, the collective planning of her and her kunai—at its best.

So when she heard the sound of voices somewhere nearby, she smirked, and headed in their direction. Summoning a few of her knives, she readied one hand to throw them as she rounded the cornered. She stopped short, however, as the scene down the corridor occupied her attention.

Roxas and Demyx were walking leisurely down the white hallway, seeming to be in deep conversation. This alone was odd, since the two where usually laughing or plotting some immature prank. What made the scene even stranger though, was that Larxene could see Ria tiptoeing behind the boys. The newest of the members was stepping carefully, sneaking her way over.

Then, before the boys could even guess at what was happening, Ria leapt forward. Demyx managed to turn halfway as she pounced, and Roxas did the same as she came down. Ria lost her balance though, and blindly grabbed for something. She caught Roxas's shoulder as she fell; being roughly the same size, the small boy lost his footing and fell with her with a cry of surprise. They both hit Demyx, and the taller Nobody tried his best to sidestep the chaos. Roxas grabbed a fistful of the sitarist's coat as the last possible moment, and Ria reached for his arm.

Another moment passed, and the trio disappeared into a wall.

Wait, into a wall?

A series of thuds and cries met her ears, and Larxene frowned. Rushing over to where the youngsters had once stood, she had a moment of remembrance as she recalled that this hall had a stairwell. By some unlucky stroke of chance, her former targets plus poor Ria had managed to tumble down said stairwell and onto the first landing.

As she looked down, Larxene could only smile and put her hands on her hips.

Demyx had apparently hit the landing before the others, and they had all ended the journey down the incline in a tangle of limbs. The musician was on his back, green eyes glaring up at the ceiling. One hand rested on his forehead, while Ria clung to his other arm. She had ended up on her side against his chest, holding his arm tightly. Her eyes were closed and her body tense from the fall. Roxas, meanwhile, had landed on his stomach across her lap, his head resting on Demyx's knee.

Unable to control herself, Larxene burst out laughing.

Hearing the laughter, Roxas groaned and put forth the effort to roll away from the group. Ria opened her eyes, lifting her head to look at the top of the stairs. Spotting Larxene, she simply sighed and let her head drop back onto Demyx's shoulder. He patted her back as she sat up a few seconds later, and shook his head when he too realized they had an audience.

"That," Larxene declared, wiping tears of amusement from her eyes, "was brilliant."

Glancing up at the blonde, Ria turned slightly pink, and moved to stand. She winched, however, as she put weight on her right hand to push away from the ground. Sitting down again, she held her hand to her stomach.

"I congratulate you on a very well thought-out leap, Ria," Larxene said, smiling again. "You've certainly made my day better."

"Um…that's great, Larxene," Ria replied, giving the woman a brief, curious look. She carefully stood a moment later, and Roxas followed her example. As the boy brushed off his coat, Demyx also stood. Ria held her wrist out and turned it experimentally, only to flinch and draw it back to her side.

Noticing this, Larxene continued, "So, there were some casualties after all? You should always look before—"

"Oh, will you be quiet, Larxene?" Roxas snapped, shaking his head.

"Snippy, aren't we?" Larxene replied. Shifting her weight to her left side, she tilted her head.

His eyes darting in her direction, Demyx watched her for a moment before turning his attention to Ria's wrist. He took it carefully, looking it over and asking Ria something.

"Break your wrist, did you? I wouldn't be surprised," Larxene offered, almost cheerily. "Each of you should have some interesting bruises come tomorrow. Especially you, Demyx; Ria clung to your arm pretty tight when you fell. I wonder how Zexion will feel about that?"

Taking her wrist from Demyx's hold, Ria rolled her eyes. "He won't care," she said, tucking a few stray strands of hair behind one ear. "I pounced, we fell, and we all tried to grab hold of something to keep from going down the stairs. It was a natural reaction that anyone would have done." She looked up at Larxene, her expression calm.

Larxene snorted. "You're spending too much time in the basements, Ria. Exposure to the scientists is changing you."

At hearing this, Ria smiled. "Maybe it's a good thing."

"I doubt it," the blonde said, crossing her arms.

"Are you finished, guys?" Roxas asked suddenly, looking from Larxene to Ria.

"Are you?" Larxene countered, raising her eyebrows.

Three of the four Nobodies present rolled their eyes. Ria moved to leave, apologizing to the boys for causing the whole incident. Larxene thought she caught the three exchanging a smile, but it disappeared too fast for her to be certain. Ria headed up the stairs, while Demyx and Roxas headed down.

Finally, with the fun over, Larxene went in search of something to stab.

_**xxx-/-/-XIV-/-/-xxx**_

"I've already warned off Xigbar," Larxene said, her voice carrying through the library. Turning on her heels, she fixed the blond man watching her with a hard stare. "I won't hesitate to leave you missing something, as well. Questions, comments, last words before you retreat?"

A small chuckle came from Luxord as he took a step away from one of the book aisles, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Such harsh words, Larxene," he replied, walking slowly around her. Larxene rolled her eyes, even as he continued, "I still do not understand why you waste your time with a man such as Marluxia, when you could have your choice of anyone here."

Hearing this, Larxene scowled. "Most of you are imbeciles, which I see you still haven't yet realized," she spat back. "I don't bother with you because I see nothing I like, other than possibly a good target for my knives. I chose Marluxia because he happens to be a gentleman, more so than the rest of you, and I have standards. Go waste your time on someone else."

Luxord gave her a long look, before shaking his head. "I am not foolish enough to seek the attention of human women, having no heart myself," he said, rather calmly, "And my taste does not run to that of other men. That leaves only you, Larxene."

Putting her hands on her hips, she scowled. "I guess I should feel flattered, but I'm not. Maybe you should have stalked after Ria when she first arrived."

"Rianxan is young, and her personality too…innocent, I think. We would have not gotten along well if I had pursued her with a more than friendly interest."

Making a sound of disbelief, Larxene answered, "Well, that's new; what ever happened to taking a risk, Luxord? You are, as I recall, the Gambler of Fate."

Another long pause. "Some risks are doomed to fail, so better not to take them."

"Like this one," she concluded. Turning her back to him, Larxene headed for the arched doors leading out of the library. This conversation was beginning to bore her.

"Marluxia cares more for his plants, doesn't he?" Luxord suddenly called, his voice rising so she could catch his words.

Halting, she looked over her shoulder at him. "Excuse me?"

"The man you call a gentleman," the gambler explained, "That you have chosen to give your interest too; he cares more about the welfare of his precious plants than keeping his attention on you, doesn't he?"

This made Larxene frown, and she turned to fully look at him. "I supposed he does, at times," she answered, sending Luxord a dangerous look. "But we both have our other interests, besides seeking each other's company. I like to read occasionally, and make life a living hell for the rest of you. Why should it bother me that he likes the quiet of his garden over me? We're Nobodies, Luxord; the meaning of the word 'alone' is practically in our souls."

"And yet, we still seek out the company of others to chase that away."

To that, Larxene had no response…so, she chose to ignore it.

"Is there a point to this, Luxord? Cause if not, I'd really rather be somewhere else, thank you."

When Luxord laughed softly, Larxene moved to leave, but stopped when he raised one hand.

"I have a wager for you, so to speak. Something that would interest you, and possibly keep boredom out of your system."

At hearing this, Larxene raised her eyebrows. She knew better to accept any bet of Luxord's, but she needed something else to do besides wander the Castle endlessly. It couldn't hurt to listen to his offer, anyway.

"What kind of wager?" she asked, letting a bit of her curiosity show.

Luxord smiled, and let his hands rest at his sides. "A simple bet of 2000 munny, placed between the two of us," he explained, "I want to see if you can convince Marluxia to leave his plotting and vegetation to accompany you on…oh, a real outing, perhaps? If you both go, and have an enjoyable time, you win the munny; and, as a perk, I will stop my pursuit of your attention. But if things do not go well, you pay me the munny, and give me a chance to show you how a woman such as yourself should be treated."

After a moment, Larxene blinked. "You've got to be kidding me," she responded, crossing her arms. "You're putting down your own munny on a bet that you have a good chance of losing, if I accept, and a stupid bet at that. What's the catch?"

"Only that you inform me of the time and place of the date," Luxord answered, smiling, "So that I may watch from nearby, unseen, to assess how things are going. You also cannot tell Marluxia of our agreement, until the end."

Rolling her eyes, Larxene repeated, "This is stupid."

"Is that a no?"

Larxene opened her mouth to say that it was, but stopped herself at the last moment. Giving him a look, she took a minute to really think about the bet. All she had to do was get Marluxia to take her on an enjoyable date, and she could make some munny _and_ get Luxord to leave her alone. She knew the Graceful Assassin fairly well, so it really couldn't be that hard to convince him they should get out of the World That Never Was. What possible chance could she have of losing?

Unless, of course, Luxord saw another side of the wager that she hadn't yet noticed.

Shaking her head, she sighed and held out her hand. She had nothing better to do, so why not?

His smile widening, Luxord took her hand.

_**xxx-/-/-XIV-/-/-xxx**_

Larxene had always thought of herself as a direct person, and smart.

She had forever been the independent type, speaking her mind and solving problems without help from anyone else. She was thoughtful, in a sense. If she had a question, she would ask it; an idea, she would share it with others, whether or not those around her wanted to hear it. It was the way she normally interacted with the world, and the people in it. This included Marluxia, the one Nobody who she bothered to actually spend time with outside of the required meetings and missions.

She wasn't entire sure why he was the one she had made any sort of connection with, but she didn't really care. It was just something that had happened, that she had pursued, and it had led to a sort of agreement between the two of them. It was like Luxord had said: they were Nobodies; they had each lost their hearts alone, been strong enough by themselves to continue on in half-existence, and would most likely die unaccompanied.

And yet, they still sought the company of others, an illusion of wholeness to block the loneliness they all felt. All they had were memories of a past life, of a person they no longer were. Yet, as Ria put it, they were still, in some nearly unfathomable way, human. Maybe it was their souls, like the Spirited Reverie believed, but Larxene didn't care. Whether it was the soul, the memories, or some invisible scar of emptiness that remained in place of their hearts, they were human. They all fought for the things they wanted, believed in, and needed in some small way. Comfort, warmth, the feeling that someone else saw you in the world was one of those things.

She couldn't speak for the others, but her connection with the Graceful Assassin was something.

They weren't open about their relationship, but then again, none of the Organization members were. They shared stories, they laughed and joked, tortured and teased each other on occasion, but they each had their secrets.

Maybe it was that aloneness factor at work again.

But despite a lack of honesty and trust between the members, each of them knew the goings-on of the others. Or, rather, they just suspected.

It was another of those things Larxene didn't know.

She didn't know why she shared things with Marluxia; she didn't know why he shared things with her. She couldn't say why Rianxan and Zexion, of all people, had chosen to make a connection with the other. She had no idea why Axel and Roxas were best friends, or why Xigbar found it amusing to follow her, or even why Demyx continued to write music when he should have no passion to put into it.

Memories, souls, passion, connections…she didn't understand it. She didn't need too.

But, for the love of Kingdom Hearts, she _wanted_ to know why she couldn't simply ask Marluxia to go with her on a date!

Pacing from one end of her room to the other, she decided to take her frustration out on a nearby mirror. Calling two of her kunai, she set her feet and flung her arm out in a controlled gesture. The thin knives left her hands, spacing out a bit before hitting the mirror with a crash. They created two circular cracks, with more breaks rippling away from the points of impact. That distracted her for a moment, but she soon found herself pacing again.

She wasn't one to believe in seven years of bad luck, so the broken glass didn't bother her.

Eventually, she let out a growl and collapsed in a nearby chair, and stared at the ceiling.

Really, it wasn't that hard of a thing to accomplish. All she had to do was knock on the man's door, or wait till he was working in his large garden. Then she just had to walk up to him, maybe start a short conversation, before casually suggesting that they should get out of the Castle for a bit. That would set the seed, so to speak, and maybe Marluxia would get the hint and offer to take her out. He was an intelligent man, after all.

Then again, that plan could fail miserably, and then he would just ask her to pass him a shovel.

A shovel, or a watering can, or even a pair of trimming shears…

Larxene grit her teeth; she would not lose this bet because of a shovel.

It was an easy enough thing to just ask the man to spend a few hours with her, but…why, when it came down to it, was she having such a tough time going through with it?

Sighing heavily, Larxene called her knives back to her hand and walked determinedly to her door. Opening it, she slammed the thing behind her for good measure and proceeded down the hallway. As she walked, her frustration faded little by little, until she was fairly calm. She found herself taking the path to the garden that Number Eleven meticulously cared for, her willful nature taking its hold.

She wasn't one to sidestep around anything, even a problem; she confronted it, cut a path through, and that was the end of it.

So, she would approach Marluxia and ask him to spend some time with her. It was as simple and easy as that.

She hoped.

The stubbornness stayed with her for a good while, until she grew closer to the corridor that would lead her to the garden. Her steps weren't as determined, and her stomach felt a bit knotted.

"Oh, for the…hells," Larxene muttered, kicking a nearby wall with the toe of her boot.

She nearly jumped as she suddenly heard footsteps approaching, but caught herself in time. The first thought that entered her mind was that it was Marluxia, so she quickly composed herself the best she could, appearing to be fascinated with her long fingernails. She looked up just as the steps were near, though, to discover that it wasn't the man she had been coming to see.

Instead, it was Rianxan, looking a little irritated. She had on black boots and jeans, but her shirt was a pale yellow…and her right arm was in a dark sling of sorts.

Giving the younger woman a curious look, Larxene put her hands on her hips and asked, "Well, it seems you did do something to your wrist. Is it broken?"

Ria turned quickly, settling when she realized it was only Larxene who had spoken. She looked around once, before coming to stand a step away from the blonde.

"No, but I did something to it," the brunette replied. "I would have just left it alone, but Zexion found me in the hallway and insisted on looking it over."

When she sighed, Larxene looked down at the piece of cloth resting over Ria's shoulder, and touched it with a fingertip.

"What's the sigh for?"

Ria only shook her head. "He then dragged me to one of the labs," she explained, with another sigh, "And insisted I wear this ridiculous thing for at least a day. I would have refused, but he gave me out of those looks of his, like he's telling me I'm being careless without actually saying it. I really didn't want to cause trouble or anything, so I agreed."

As if to fight against her lover's insistence, Ria glared up at the ceiling and rolled her right shoulder.

A moment later, Larxene laughed a little.

"Zexion could get Xemnas to tie dragons to the top towers of the Castle, if he set his mind to it," Larxene said, crossing her arms. "But he's more focused on experiments and the like than anything else, so the world is safe. Like I said before, though, the scientists are getting to you."

Shrugging in response, Ria said, "The science really doesn't bother me that much; I like everything that Zexion is, not just a single part of him. He's a man of knowledge and theories, and sometimes I think he would make a good teacher if we ever…" She dropped off, but Larxene knew exactly what she meant.

_If we ever get our hearts back._

Suddenly, Larxene knew exactly how she would get Marluxia to go on a date with her. It was just an idea, but maybe...

"Hey, Ria," she began, quickly wanting to see if her plan could work, "You and Zexion spend a lot of time outside the Castle, don't you? Go visit other worlds when you don't have missions, spend time together, that type of thing?"

Ria seemed surprised by the sudden shift in conversation, but slowly nodded. "Not a lot of time, but we get out when we can."

"Where do you guys go, if you don't mind my asking?"

This seemed to surprise Number Fourteen even more, but she readily replied, "Twilight Town, usually; it's easy for us to blend in there, and the people are friendly enough—"

"So, you know the place pretty well?" Larxene continued.

"Yeah, I guess," Ria said, watching the blonde carefully. "Why do you ask?"

"What, I can't be curious about where everyone goes in their spare time?"

Ria shook her head. "It doesn't bother me, I was just wondering," she offered.

Larxene nodded, feeling that she had set enough of a baseline to ask her next question.

"Well, there is one thing…" she said, taking a moment to pause. "I was hoping that you might be able to help me with something. I'm bored, and I want to get Marluxia to accompany me on an outing. Maybe if you came with us, it would help to convince him he needs to get out for awhile."

At this, Ria gave her a curious look, before her features moved into a frown.

"What I mean is, it would be more…fun if you came with us," she added as an afterthought, "And you could talk Zexion into coming as well. I know he doesn't like us that much, but he might not mind if you were there."

As she spoke the words, Larxene sighed. She didn't sound anything like herself, and it seemed as though Ria wasn't buying it.

"Larxene, I really don't think—"

The blonde sighed again, interrupting Ria as she lifted her hand.

"It can be a double date, if you want. We all need to get out sooner or later, before insanity sets in."

Ria still looked undecided, even after that. Larxene took a deep breath, and finally decided try another direction.

Luxord had said she couldn't tell Marluxia about the bet, but he hadn't said she couldn't tell anyone else.

"Look," she explained, after a moment, "I made a bet with Luxord earlier. If I get Marluxia to take me on a date, and we have a decent time, the gambler will pay me munny and stop stalking my damn shadow. Help a fellow woman out, here."

Ria's frown deepened for a few moments, but she finally smiled.

"I guess I can help," she said, nodding, "I don't know if I can get Zexion to come, but—"

"Thank you," Larxene said hurriedly, once she realized that Ria had actually agreed. "That's great; I'll find you tomorrow evening and we'll drag the boys out for a bit of fun. Oh, and don't tell Zexion or Marluxia about this, okay?"

_**xxx-/-/-XIV-/-/-xxx**_

Convincing Marluxia to come hadn't been so easy.

Somehow, informing Ria of the bet—or rather, dragging both her and Zexion into it—had made it fairly effortless to ask Number Eleven to come.

But convincing him was another matter entirely.

She had, of course, found him in the garden, kneeling over some sort of water-lily in a pond. After a simple greeting and some small talk, she had mentioned a desire to get out of the Castle. He had just nodded, and went on to splash water on some sort of green stalk with big leaves. Splotches of pink covered the leaves, and another identical plant sported white splotches. She had sighed, and told him about running into Ria, and the idea of spending an evening in Twilight Town.

"Larxene, what are you hinting at?" he had asked, looking up.

"I want us to go on a date."

This had caused him to stare at her, before he laughed softly and dismissed the explanation.

"Really, Larxene, what is on your mind?"

She stared at him. "A date; as in, you and me in real clothing and spending the evening together. We walk around, enjoy the local scenery, and have dinner at a nice place."

Marluxia had protested at this, saying they both had better things to do than pay for a meal in another world. When Larxene had added that the outing was already official, and that Ria and Zexion were coming with them, the assassin had nearly lost his balance on the way to a weeping willow. He had argued—

_"Oh, will you stop your complaining?"_

_"I am not complaining like some young child! I am arguing my point as to why I do not wish to go."_

—until finally, Larxene had walked up and grabbed the collar of his shirt.

She had then calmly explained that they were going, and when. Another protest and she had threatened to destroy the entire garden with a burst of electricity. He had argued that he could easily grow everything back in a matter of weeks. Bringing her face closer to his, she had simply locked eyes with him.

"Marluxia, dear, it's only three hours. You've already died, so it won't kill you to humor me for 180 minutes."

So here they now were, the four of them sharing a table at some small restaurant in Twilight Town. She and Marluxia shared one side of the table, while Ria and Zexion had the other. Both males were currently engaged in a staring contest, and neither seemed too happy about the arrangement. Even Ria didn't seem relaxed; she was tense, her hands in her lap as she glanced over at Zexion every few moments. The sling from the day before was missing.

Sighing inwardly, Larxene set her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. She caught Ria's gaze for a second, silently asking for her help.

For a moment, she wasn't sure if Rianxan had understood, but then she noticed one of the brunette's hands moving. Ria touched Zexion's arm gently, and the schemer turn his head to look at her. Neither said anything, but Larxene suddenly remembered that Ria could project her thoughts so that others could hear them. Maybe the girl had asked Zexion to stop his soundless contest with Marluxia.

As if to prove her guess right, Zexion turned to face Marluxia as Ria let her hand drop. He gave the taller man a long look, before saying, "Perhaps we can agree on a truce, Number Ele—Marluxia? At least until we return home."

If Marluxia was caught off guard by this, he didn't show it. He considered Zexion for a moment, before nodding.

Letting out a breath in relief, Larxene nudged Marluxia's foot with her own as an acknowledgement of his acceptance. She also looked to Ria again, nodding minutely in thanks. When a waiter arrived with menus, she took a moment to look around. Luxord was somewhere in the restaurant, watching them. But where?

Should she even bother searching for him?

Probably not, but it couldn't hurt.

When she finally looked down at her menu, she realized that Ria was attempting to start up a conversation with Marluxia. Zexion reluctantly joined in, asking a question about poisonous plants. Marluxia slowly answered, and Larxene settled into her chair more.

Well, she wasn't having the time of her life, but things were going okay.

Ria soon dropped out of the discussion the boys were having, and they ordered drinks and food shortly after. At one point, Ria and Zexion started discussing something about the layout of the town, and its residents. Marluxia focused on his food, exchanging few words with Larxene until she added her own opinion to the Twilight Town topic. Ria nodded in agreement, causing Zexion to shake his head.

Again, she was left out of the conversation, and even Marluxia was focused on things other than her.

Well, this certainly wasn't going to turn out good if things continued.

So, she pointedly stared at the man sitting next to her, and waited.

"Ria? Ria, there you are! I need your help!"

Hearing her name, Ria looked up, and Larxene had just enough time to turn her head before the tall form of Demyx descended on their table. He looked rather excited, and a bit out of breath…and he was dressed in his Organization coat.

"Demyx, what the hell are you—" she started to demand, but Demyx dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

"I've been looking through half the town for you, Ria," the musician said quickly, resting his palms on the table.

By the look on her face, Ria really had no idea what this what about. The young woman's eyes darted to the other three at her table, before looking up at the person she called her best friend. Larxene noticed briefly that half the restaurant was watching them.

She scowled, and buried her face in her hands. This had to be something of the gambler's doing.

"Dem, this really isn't a good time," Ria whispered, standing slowly, "I can't really help if there's been some type of emergency. What are you doing here, anyway?"

Demyx quickly shook his head. "There's no emergency, it's just…I need your help! The timing is perfect!"

Normally, Ria was a pretty easy person to get along with. Now, though, she seemed to be getting a little impatient.

"I still don't understand—"

"Axel and Roxas are here, on the hill that overlooks the train tracks," he explained quickly. "You know how we're always wondering if they're, well…more than friends? This is the perfect time to do a little recon. I even convinced Xigbar to let me borrow his camera. I need you to help me, though, so let's get going!"

Before Ria could answer, or even react, Demyx grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the entrance of the building. She pulled back, though, giving the group an uneasy expression. Then she noticed the stares of the other people, and sighed softly. Demyx gave her a questioning look, and Ria turned to look at the others.

"I'm sorry you, guys, but…" she pausing, biting her lip. Zexion met her eyes, and simply nodded.

"Get out of here, you two," Marluxia warned, gesturing to the door, "He's attracting too much attention."

Ria nodded, and moved to pull Demyx towards the entrance.

Before exiting, she turned back to the restaurant and said, "I'm sorry for interrupting your meals, everyone; family emergency."

And with that, they left.

Zexion took the opportunity to sigh then, and shook his head.

"Well, that was thrilling," Larxene said, filling the silence.

"Indeed," Marluxia replied, before sipping water from his glass.

Zexion sighed again. "I wish…oh, it doesn't matter. Marluxia, you mention something about a plant that caused enhanced senses, before?"

At that point, Larxene gritted her teeth, quickly growing tired of the evening. The date was turning out to be unsuccessful, her only ally-in-ripping-off-Luxord was gone, and Zexion was talking about some special flower.

She snorted, and wondered what either of them could possibly want with a plant like that.

At this rate, she was going to lose 2000 munny she didn't actually have. That, and she'd have to endure one evening in Luxord's company.

She wasn't going to lose the bet to a shovel; oh no, she was going to lose it to sense-enhancing, Heartless-forsaken _flower_.

At that moment, her patience dissolved. Standing up, she prodded Marluxia hard in the collarbone.

His head jerked up to look at her with annoyed eyes, and she grabbed his wrist before he could protest.

"Sorry to leave you with the bill, Zexion, but we've got to get going," she said. "Good luck finding Ria." Reaching into the back pocket of Marluxia's jeans, she fished out his wallet and tossed it onto the table. The owner of said wallet objected loudly.

Larxene only rolled her eyes, and hauled him out of the building.

_**xxx-/-/-XIV-/-/-xxx**_

"What was that all about, Larxene?" Marluxia demanded as they exited a dark portal. The blonde let his wrist go, and crossed her arms as she turned to face him.

She gave him a long stare, tapping her foot on the grass. The garden had been the first place to cross her mind, so she had brought them there.

"You really don't get it, do you?" she asked.

Marluxia frowned, and shook his head. "I don't understand; you wanted to go out, so we did. Then you're quiet almost the entire time, which is strange in itself. And then you drag me out of the restaurant you wanted to go too. What's going on, Larxene?"

In response, Larxene threw up her hands and took a few steps away.

"I just wanted…oh, I don't know!" she called, turning away from him. "I got bored, okay? There was conversation going, but I wasn't part of it, and everyone seemed busy doing other things." She turned to see his reaction.

He just watched her. "When has that ever bothered you before? Usually you join in or bring up a topic you want to discuss."

"I…it's different."

"Larxene…"

She waited for him to continue, but he didn't. Instead, he ran a hand through his long hair and sighed. They both stood there for a few minutes, letting silence take over the area. Marluxia shifted a bit, and Larxene looked up to see what he was doing.

After studying her briefly, he said, "I have things to do."

That got to her, more than anything else had that night.

Maybe she had lost the bet, but then again…maybe there was still a chance for her to prove she hadn't chosen wrong.

"I am so tired of being ignored," she sighed, and walked over to where Marluxia was standing.

He turned to face her, question in his eyes as he asked, "What did you say?"

Larxene only smirked, the bet forgotten, and did the first thing that came to mind: she pounced.

**

* * *

****End Note: **I absolutely loved writing this oneshot. 

Well, I really think I've fallen for the strange pairing that is Marluxia and Larxene. Despite the fact his element is flowers/plants, Marluxia is not a force to be taken lightly; also, I really enjoyed delving more into Larxene's character. She really doesn't seem to be just the sadistic, princess of apathy that most stories make her out to be. At least, that's what I think. She _was_ once a real person, and that makes me wonder what her human self was really like. Hopefully I'll have more chances to write things centered around her.

Wow, sorry everyone! I didn't mean to get caught on that random thought. Again, thank you guys who requested to see more of Marluxia and Larxene! This really gave me a chance to write something different, and helped to improve my writing, I think. I love getting requests like that, so if you guys have any, please let me know. The credit to the ideas goes to all of you readers out there.

Reviews?

-Silver-


	5. Authoress' Note

Dear Readers and fellow Authors & Authoresses,

I apologize for getting everyone's hopes up that this was a long overdue update! I'm finally back on the site after a very long absence, and felt I needed to start anew (at least a little bit - my profile should explain a few things, if anyone cares to check it out). For now, this story will be on HIATUS; I have not idea how long as of yet. For now, for old-times sake, and the fact that it's burrowed its way into my heart a bit, this fic will remain here. There is a slight chance it might be removed in the future, though I can't say for sure.

Happy New Years,

-Heartless Kittypet-

aka SILVERSE (new pen name, sorry for any confusion!)


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